Voters say they want to send a message to Ottawa about its relationship with Iran

This group of Iranian-Canadians gathered in midtown Friday morning Toronto to travel together to Buffalo, N.Y. to vote in Iran's presidential election. (Martin Trainor/CBC News)

For Arash Abadpour, voting in this year's Iranian presidential election is about sending a message to two governments.

Abadpour was part of a group of 25 people who gathered in mid-town Toronto Friday morning to travel together in six vehicles to Buffalo to vote.

"This is just one of the groups that are leaving the GTA. We've been in touch with many other groups ... many people will be crossing the border to vote," Abadpour told CBC Toronto.

They were forced to make the trip because the federal government hasn't set up any polling stations for Iranian-Canadian voters — even as Iranians lined up to cast their ballots in Iran, the United States and Europe in a pivotal election, the first since the country signed a deal with world powers to limit its nuclear program.

The Harper government broke off relations with Iran five years ago, pulling out its diplomats and closing the Canadian embassy there. The Trudeau government has been trying to re-establish the relationship between Ottawa and Tehran since the nuclear accord was signed.

"The lack of diplomatic ties, the lack of a consulate or an embassy [in Canada] is a big hurdle, not just because of events like an election but also daily needs and consulate services," Abadpour said.

But the U.S., which also has no diplomatic relations with Iran, has 55 different extraterritorial polling stations set up.

Arash Abadpour says voting in Iran's election in Buffalo, N.Y. is about sending a message to both Iran and Canada. (Martin Trainor/CBC News)

"We want this trip to also be a message we send to the Canadian government regarding the large Iranian population in Canada," said Abadpour.